8

Bhagvad Gita is a 701 versed text which is inside Mahabharata. And similarly Durga Saptashati (Sapta =7 and Shat =100) is also 7×100= 700 versed text which is inside Markandeya Purana which is also known as Devi Mahatmya.

One of the most famous and important verse in Bhagvad Gita is Bhagvad Gita Chapter 4 Verse 7, where Lord states to Arjuna as:

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत |
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् || 7||

Whenever and wherever there is a decline in righteousness and an increase in unrighteousness, O Arjuna, at that time I manifest myself.

As Devi Mahatmya is also related to destruction of demonic forces by Devi, are there similar statements made by Devi in Durga Saptashati ?

Improve this question
1
  • Wow this is amazing! Thanks for this question!
    – Amrit Dhara
    Oct 18, 2018 at 9:03

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
9

Yes, In chapter 91 of Markandeya Purana (or chapter 11 of Saptashati), Devi speaks about her various coming incarnations in future to destroy demonic forces. In the last verse or verse 55, Devi states:

इत्थं यदा यदा बाधा दानवोत्था भविष्यति ॥
तदा तदावतीर्याहं करिष्याम्यरिसंक्षयम् ॥५५॥

Whenever and wherever there will be disturbances from the demonic forces, then I shall incarnate myself and destroy them all.

Improve this answer
7
  • 4
    Nice find mate ..This only confirms the oneness of all Gods
    – Rickross
    Oct 9, 2016 at 7:24
  • 1
    (1/3) Nice find! However, IMO the primary similarity is actually of words "yada yada, ... tada...". Here is my take: In Gita, the manifestation of "[supreme] self" (Atma, not Krishna) happens. Now this Atma itself is ultimately responsible for Dharma & Adharma as it pervades everywhere. On the contrary in Saptashati, the Devi (goddess) does the destruction in her personal form. May be the personal form might be manifesting in other forms. The major difference is about "Destruction of DAnava-s". The DAnava-s are said to be children of Kashyap through his wife Danu.
    – iammilind
    Oct 10, 2016 at 4:47
  • (2/3) Hence, killing DAnava-s is more like destroying certain group of people. For example, "killing Nazis" or "killing xyz ethnics". This quite specific compared to the very general correction of Dharma vs Adharma. Also as a side note, I couldn't locate "incarnate" in the Sanskrit verse. May be I have missed somewhere. Anyways, "I get created" from Gita is actually quite explicit. BTW, this comment is not to refute this verse. But just my view that, both verse are "probably" not similar. Thanks to BR Chopra, "Yada yada" & "Karmanye vAdhika" are the most popular verses.
    – iammilind
    Oct 10, 2016 at 4:55
  • (3/3) Now there is something, completely unrelated to your Q&A. I feel that "Yada Yada..." is probably 1 of the most, over-amplified verse from Gita due to amazingly sung by Mahendra Kapoor in BR Chopra's MahAbhArata. In my personal view, its meaning should be very simple. Whenever there is a drought(adharma), I become rain(dharma); Whenever there is war(adharma), I become peace(dharma); whenever there is merrymaking(adharma), I become sadness(dharma), whenever there is wastage(adharma), I become scarcity(dharma)... & so on. Also, the "yuge yuge" (4.8) time differs from context to context.
    – iammilind
    Oct 10, 2016 at 5:01
  • 1
    There Devi says: "I again shall assume a dreadful form on the mountain Himachala, and devour the giants to protect the sages: all the ascetics will bow and applaud me. I shall be called Bhima-Devi, when Aruna shall disturb the three world; then I shall turn a roving beettle. I will destroy the great giant for the advantage of these three worlds: all will applaud me by the name of Bramhani in the world. Whenever disturbances shall arise from the demonic forces, then I shall incarnate and destroy the enemies."
    – Tezz
    Oct 10, 2016 at 6:34

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .